“I am, indeed a king, because I know how to rule myself.” Pietro Aretino
Have you ever wanted something so badly that to the exclusion of everything else, you just make a commitment to yourself to do it? No matter how hard no matter what it takes, you just make up your MIND. You choose to have WILLPOWER and dominion over your body. Willpower is the ability to have self-control, discipline and determination in doing something difficult. Some good examples are; losing weight, quitting smoking, riding a bike, learning a language, paying attention, you get the picture right?
You have the mental strength and fortitude to do something because you know it will better you in some way, even when “you don’t feel like it.” You have the maturity to overcome your limited mind and you are rewarded mentally and emotionally when you do overcome your body or something you thought you couldn’t do.
Why We Fail.
One of the main reasons why people fail is because they lack WILLPOWER. Willpower is directly correlated with being happier, earning more money, overcoming adversity and accomplishing personal goals and objectives. Just like any other skill that you learn, willpower can be learned, improved and strengthened.
I have been a CrossFit enthusiast for about 3 years now. Where I have learned not only to be better than I was before, I have learned about strength training, endurance, gymnastics, and most of all, I have learned to exercise my MINDSET.
Working Out Your Biggest Muscle- Your Brain.
When you are WORKING towards anything, the BIGGEST muscle you are working out is your BRAIN. So your mindset is an imperative component of fitness and training.
I have been an athlete for most of my life, but CrossFit kicks my butt every single time I attend a class. I realized that the only thing I need to be is the BEST I can be and better than I was yesterday. Competition isn’t being better than my colleagues at my gym, it is that inner voice that says “you can do this,” and it’s the thing that keeps you inspired and uplifted to keep improving. It is the inner competition with myself and my own limits.
WINNING to me means you put in the EFFORT to become a better you.
I am not the fastest, the strongest or the most skilled and I won’t be headed to the CrossFit Games anytime soon, but I love to keep myself in shape, active and I feel confident in the area of health and wellness.
Upping My Game.
So what I decided to do was to work on a different set of skills that would help improve my CrossFit proficiency. For me, I struggled and struggled with the DREADED CrossFit double under for months and months and months. I AVOIDED it at all costs. It pained me to even think about doing it because I despised it so much. All I ever got out of this movement was frustration and annoyance at the highest level. I could not understand why I just couldn’t get it.
If you are not familiar with double unders,the double under is an exercise done with a jump rope where the rope makes two passes underneath you per jump instead of just one pass. It allows for higher working capacity than just regular jump rope and it is a total blast if you know how to do them. Well I didn’t and I certainly couldn’t do it. I was so awful at them that when I would get home I had whip marks on my legs and elbows to the point of having bruises too. OUCH! My husband would ask me if I got it yet and I would shoot him a quick death stare and say “does it look like it got it yet?”
Feeling Frustrated and Defeated.
So I know exactly what it’s like to feel frustrated and defeated time and time again and the worst part was, it kept wearing on my patience. I was simply TERRIBLE at this movement. Nothing I did resembled grace, or ease, just a crazy ass donkey kick and many war wounds on the back of my legs and arms, go figure.
So when I was to the point of wanting to give up, I had just had enough! I couldn’t take it any longer, I made a different decision. I decided to make a conscious and positive ATTITUDE adjustment and I set a GOAL and my goal was to be as good as my colleagues at my gym, CrossFit Incendia http://www.crossfitincendia.com/
“Why not? Why couldn’t I do this? Of course I could do this! You got this Susie!” That was how my internal monologue went. Instead of “I am frustrated, I am irritated, I can’t and I can’t take it anymore.” That was the OLD monologue and I chose to discard it because it was no longer serving me to get what I wanted, and I was determined beyond reproach to get this movement. I felt the deep passion when you want something so badly, you just devote your time and you energy and you just DO IT. No matter how uncomfortable it got, no matter how tired I was, I just dedicated a little time most days to it and it started to pay off.
Executing On My Burning Desire.
Equipped with my BURNING desire, I made a relentless commitment to MASTERING the dreaded double under. And so I got to work.
I watched countless YouTube videos, meticulously watching how the pros do it and I watched everyone at the gym who were incredibly skilled at it. They did it with such grace and such ease. They had smooth and non-jerky wrist movements and exhibited unbelievable footwork, they barely jumped off the ground. I think our minds sometimes play tricks on us, although you rotate the rope twice under your feet, you don’t actually have to jump twice as high, you just have to twist your wrists a little faster. You cannot believe every thought your mind tells you to. You are in charge here, so MASTER your mind and MASTER your body.
It’s amazing to watch! It’s very graceful and very elegant. And I had a thought: “I CAN do that. I’m just going to have to PRACTICE.”
After 4 LONG months of practicing almost EVERYDAY, this is the FINAL product of my efforts and HARD WORK.
- I believe that the only limits we have are self-imposed.
- I believe that you should not AVOID things you aren’t good at.
- I believe that you will get it WRONG many times before you get it RIGHT.
- I believe that the FASTEST way to change is to have PATIENCE (ugh the irony!)
- I believe that you have to keep trying until you gain dominion over your body and your mind and stay focused.
You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. You just have to COMMIT and exercise your WILLPOWER.
What have you overcome recently that you are proud of?
Susie G.
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